Six SSU tennis courts get face-lift

Sonoma State men's and women's tennis teams are looking forward to next season and not for typical reasons.

The school has finished a $100,000 resurfacing project on six of the 12 courts used for hosting collegiate matches.

The courts had been falling apart for several years and the new courts mean the SSU men and women need not apologize to visiting teams anymore.

The men have qualified for two consecutive NCAA tournaments and the women's squad is coming off its 11th trip in a row to the NCAA playoffs.

"The funding of this project was crucial to the future success of our tennis programs," said SSU director of athletics Bill Fusco. "We appreciate the support that the university has provided, and we hope to resurface the remaining six courts in the near future."

Head coaches Steve Cunninghame (men) and Tracey Prince (women) are conducting summer camps on all 12 courts.

A schedule of USTA events, camps and clinics will keep the courts busy all summer.

EX-CAGER JOINS STAFF

SSU has announced Yvonne Burbank will join the Seawolves on July 1 as assistant athletic director and compliance coordinator.

Burbank, a former women's basketball player at SSU, arrives back on campus with impressive credentials.

Burbank (Yvonne Daily when she played at SSU from 1995-99) was team captain and president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. On the court, she helped lead the team to an NCAC co-championship and to back-to-back NCAA regional appearances.

Burbank joined the women's basketball coaching staff under Mark Rigby from 1999-2001 before moving on to USF for a two-year stint on the Dons' coaching staff. While at USF, Burbank earned her master's degree in sports management.

The past three years, she has been the head girls' basketball coach at Sonoma Academy.

Burbank replaces Liz Clark, who took a position as director of special projects for the Shasta Unified School District in her hometown of Redding.

HEADING FOR OREGON

Cardinal Newman's Kyle Young will soon be on his way to Eugene, Ore., where he will try to make the Oregon football team as a walk-on.

Young had several Division I offers, according to his father, Jeff Young, including Utah and Arizona State, as well as some Division II interest.

"He felt it was a better fit to play football," said his father, adding that Kyle will pursue a degree in sports marketing.

Young was a standout linebacker for the Cardinals this season as they battled their way to the state championships, losing an overtime thriller to highly favoried Oaks Christian.

Young had two interceptions against Oaks Christian's heralded QB Jimmy Clausen, now at Notre Dame.

Young was selected All-NBL, All-Empire defensive player of the year and to the Bay Area All-Metro team.

OFF TO RIVERSIDE

Vanessa Felder (Rio Lindo Academy) has signed a letter of intent at Division III La Sierra University in Riverside.

The 5-foot-10 Felder averaged 19 points and nine rebounds while earning team MVP honors at Rio Lindo, which posted its first winning record (13-10) in four years.

If you have information on Empire athletes competing in college, contact Bruce Meadows at 521-5263 or bruce.meadows@ pressdemocrat.com.